Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Asparagus Stir Fry


I know I’ve talked about this before, but Andrew really loves asparagus. Up to this point, Will hasn’t really cared for it -- but the recipe I’m sharing today is the one that made him an asparagus convert. He took a bite and his eyes literally lit up as he told me, "Hey Mommy, I like this! I like asparagus!"

Honestly, it would be really, really hard not to like this meal. My friend Sarah has never steered me wrong, and this recipe definitely delivers. It has such a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, and the flavor of the ground pork works perfectly with the asparagus and the sauce. I adapted the recipe slightly based on what I had on hand, and I was so happy with how this dinner turned out. This was a no-leftover night, which is always a sign of a great meal!

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Asparagus Stir Fry

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound ground pork
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch thin to medium asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
1 jalapeno, minced with seeds
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
Salt and pepper

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Add the pork and toss to blend.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, jalapeno, and ginger. Toss until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus mixture to plate.

3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil to wok. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until browned, using wooden spoon to break up pork into small pieces, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Return asparagus mixture to wok. Add honey and rice vinegar. Stir-fry until pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add water by tablespoonfuls if it becomes too dry. Add green onions; toss to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve over steamed rice.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Asparagus is really nutritious vegetable. I always add that in my Stir Fried Chicken because taste perfect to me. Thanks for sharing your recipe, I will try to cook it.

Sarah - The Home Cook said...

How awesome that this is what made Will love asparagus! This is always a huge hit in our house, too. I made it at least 5 times this spring and early summer. So, so good! Glad you guys loved it.

Allison said...

Everyone in our family had a clean plate tonight when I fixed this meal! I don't use ground pork very often, but it was perfect for this. It was so good that I'm planning on making it again next week! I added some frozen broccoli and 50% more honey and vinegar and it was perfect (and gave us enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow)!

Anonymous said...

Finally made this last night and it was wonderful. Was out of fresh ginger and had to rely on my emergency ginger paste, also only had hot sesame oil but otherwise followed the recipe. My husband won the coin toss and got to take the leftovers for lunch!